Hazard: A potentially dangerous inherent property of a substance.
Hazard Identification: Recognition of the potential of a substance to cause harm to human health or the environment.
Risk: Probability that a given exposure to a substance will cause harm. Risk is a function of the intrinsic hazard of a substance and the dose of exposure to that substance.
Hazard identification involves an examination of the chemical, physical, and biological properties of a substance. A very high pH (alkali), for example, could indicate that a chemical is corrosive to the skin and mucous membranes. Properties of flammability or explosivity indicate the need for special handling and management. Other properties that may indicate potential environmental harm include a substance’s persistence in the environment, its ability to accumulate in tissues along the food chain, or its potential to cause toxicity.
At Dow, we have adopted a tiered approach to determining the appropriate laboratory studies for hazard identification. It’s a product-stewardship-driven approach that, combined with government requirements, can increase the public’s confidence and assure them that human health and the environment are protected.
Typically, Dow scientists seek to understand the potential effects of chemicals through various routes of exposure:
- Inhalation, or exposure through the air
- Ingestion, or exposure by eating or accidentally swallowing
- Dermal exposure, or exposure on or through the skin
Our scientists also try to determine if the duration of exposure or the dose levels of the substance may increase the likelihood of adverse effects. In particular, they examine dose levels to determine the level at which no adverse effect is observable — the No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL).
Although hazard identification is only one step in the product safety process, it’s essential for producing accurate consumer and product labels (warning labels) and Safety Data Sheets, which are legally required documents that inform workers of the possible hazards associated with the chemicals they may use at work.
